[Original Novel] The Black Pool, Part 22
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Previous parts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21
I felt the arm judder beneath me as it cringed. Then it slowly shifted its body, raising one hand as if it meant to swat me like a fly. Much too slow! Its hand came down behind me with the usual bone jarring impact, but that hardly even slowed me down.
Upon reaching its hand, the picture grew clear. The creature’s immense finger separated, morphed into a roughly human sized replica of the larger being, then set off for the center of the pillar. Then the finger regenerated, before once again separating.
It shapeshifted as well into another human scale version of the giant. As my eyes adjusted, I discovered a long single-file line of the creatures, marching single mindedly towards the center of the pillar. Towards the black pool, and the shaft.
It made me wonder at what measure of intelligence the giant might possess. That’s quite a clever trick after all. No doubt once topside, the procession of distorted, grotesque humanoid things would merge with one another, forming a larger and larger giant.
Like dripping yourself through a keyhole. I imagined the confusion and terror that would result in whatever world the giant meant to invade. But only for a moment. It once again reached for me, and as I’d stupidly remained at the pillar’s rim, I was nearly crushed.
It continued groping at the rim behind me, bellowing in frustration. Once satisfied I was fully beyond its reach, I slowed down and allowed myself some time to rest. Still coated in the vile black crud, head to toe. Mud flakes as well. How long has it been since I was clean? Have I ever been clean?
Still, what a relief to have finally escaped that horrid, sulfuric wasteland. The pillars were no more inviting than before, but I was at least back on the path I intended to follow before cast down into the world below. The deep beneath the deep.
Hours of wandering did not profit me, as I failed to find any roosting winged insects to commandeer. I hoped that setting out from this place would be as simple as it was before, but I soon worked out that I must’ve just been lucky the first time.
Nowhere left to go but towards the center. I dreaded it, not wanting anything to do with the giant’s progeny. But nor did I want to wander this cold, damp stone expanse forever. Dragging myself through this hopeless void brought back memories of my first month down here.
I got to wondering what became of the others. The ones I shared that time with, gathered about the edges of the sunlit pool. Bugs now, surely? Or perhaps they found out for themselves the true nature of the black fog.
For that matter, what about the village? The more I dwelled on memories of that rare safe haven, the more I missed it. What a fool I was to find such an oasis, only to abandon it so readily. I didn’t know, at the time, how much worse things could get.
“At least I still have you” I whispered to Horatio, opening the satchel to peer down at him. He lay there motionless. Not even curled up. I jostled him, now somewhat worried. Even when touched, he didn’t react. Didn’t so much as wiggle his chubby little legs.
I stopped cold, and surprised myself by tearing up. Without even noticing it, just by having him along with me all this time, I’d done exactly what I was told not to. I’d begun to love this weird little monster...if only as inoculation against loneliness.
I was warned, too. I knew from the outset that they’re short lived. Of course I didn’t listen. Horatio’s body felt stiff and cold as I carefully pulled it free of the satchel and laid it down on a blanket. Couldn’t even bury the poor thing on account of the stone floor.
What a hell of a thing it is to bind your life together with something you know isn’t going to live that long! It would’ve been so much easier to just never start caring about it. Doing so was a recipe for certain heartbreak, but I couldn’t help myself.
I was just so lonely. So crushingly, agonizingly lonely. But what for? The villagers welcomed me with open arms. It’s not like I wanted for company. I had it, but chose to leave. To isolate myself. Despite knowing the pain of rejection, I’ve been so quick to reject others. To brush away their outstretched hands, spurning their every effort to connect with me.
Just then, Horatio twitched. I burst into laughter, overcome with relief. Had I simply given up too soon? For all I knew he was just hibernating or something. His twitching intensified. As I watched, my smile faded. I tried holding him still, but he only spasmed even more violently.
Then, something black and glistening poked out of his rear. I gasped and dropped him. It extended, slowly at first, revealing itself to be some sort of impossibly long worm. Or leech? More and more of it came out. I backed away and fought the urge to vomit.
It just kept coming. Now at least ten, maybe fifteen feet long, still not all the way out. A parasite of some sort? It made sense of Horatio’s symptoms. Of his worsening condition these past few days. But for it to be this long…
Once the tail end finally pulled free of Horatio’s body, I snatched him away in the hopes that, with the parasite gone, he might recover. Only to discover he was now just a hollow shell, so light in my arms that I knew there was nothing left inside.
I screamed, more in anger than fear. To think I carried that thing with me all this time, silently gestating within my poor little grub... I grabbed my bone knife and severed the damp, black worm’s body. It thrashed in pain, contorting into loops.
I can’t even have this much, can I? Not down here. I can’t have someone to hold onto, someone to protect. Everything’s finally been taken from me. Tears continued falling from my eyes as I relentlessly slashed at the writhing horror.
Only after I’d cut it into chunks and smashed each one individually underfoot did I stop. I still couldn’t stop retching. All for nothing, all for nothing! Everything I suffered, in hopes of returning Horatio to the village in time. All for nothing.
Now I’m truly alone. I guess I always have been, but I also felt as if this place was changing me. As if I’d learned something. Just an illusion, much as the black fog. All up in flames now. But then…maybe I’m not here to learn anything. Maybe I’m just here to suffer?
It was such a natural thing to search for meaning in my suffering, I didn’t even notice I was doing it. I wanted it to count for something, for this unending nightmare to be important or necessary in some way. But it isn’t, is it?
Just another pitfall, believing that life is a story. That whatever happens to you happens for a reason, and has some special meaning to it. None of this meant anything, I felt certain now. Sometimes confusing, horrible shit happens, and it doesn’t mean anything at all. It’s just the universe being its usual ugly, cruel self.
I felt fucked. Utterly, irreversibly fucked. Even my first night down here wasn’t this bad. Physical pain is nothing to me now but an irritation. But this place...it gave me something small and vulnerable. Something to really care about, just so it could then snatch it away.
Forlorn and empty, I wandered. For how long I cannot say, I had no more interest in the passage of time or anything else. I never realized my own emotional dependence on having something to take care of. The more I reflected, the more certain I felt that I used it as a surrogate for human connections. A safe outlet for those feelings, even before I was abducted.
I could only endure my life before all this because of Goblin. I just didn’t notice because I took Goblin for granted, like everything else. I’d have laid down and waited for death long ago if I had nobody to talk to, nobody to dote on.
I was so buried in despair that I almost walked right past it, but the dull yellow glow just managed to catch my eye. I’d wandered to the rim again...and there, on a stalagmite, was the bioluminescent sac I once placed as a beacon!
It took me fully a minute to believe what I was seeing. Then another to comprehend the implications. A shock ran through me. The village! I doubled back and ran for it, fatalistic imagery of what must’ve become of the settlement flashing through my mind.
Stay Tuned for Part 23!